You can choose to clean your unsealed wood floors in many ways. For example, you can clean them by applying natural oils, wax, or vinegar. Pro tip: Avoid using water and wet mops directly on the flooring.
Vinegar is a natural substance that won't cause any damage to your unfinished wood floors. The only downside of using vinegar is that it has quite a pungent smell which may bother some people. If you are one of these people, try finding an odorless vinegar or adding a few drops of essential oil to it.
Using a microfiber cloth to gently wipe the surface of a piece of unfinished wood is a simple and easy technique for cleaning the wood. This method is best for surface dirt that is not ingrained very deeply. Just run the microfiber cloth along the surface of the wood to pick up any excess dust and dirt.
Cleaning with vinegar and water is cheap, safe for the environment, and generally does a great job at cleaning many items in your home. Just please don't use them to clean wood floors. Using vinegar and water as a homemade wood floor cleaning solution can have a negative effect on your wood floor.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.
Vinegar does not damage untreated wood when diluted with olive oil or water before applying it. Applying undiluted vinegar on untreated wood can damage the wood due to the acidity of the vinegar. Use white vinegar on untreated wood after mixing it with olive oil or coconut oil or water.
Mineral spirits are an organic solvent mainly used in painting but can also be used to clean bare wood surfaces. It is easy to apply on wood and is effective for light dirt. Damp a Rag with Mineral Spirits: Only damp a rag with the spirits to ensure you do not introduce a lot of moisture to the wood.
-If it is a piece that will get a fair amount of use – like a tabletop; apply a coat or two of soft beeswax based paste wax to protect it.
Using the incorrect chemicals on your unfinished flooring has a high risk of causing permanent discoloration. It is inadvisable to use chemical-based cleaners on your unfinished hardwood floors. Floor cleaners will harm your flooring irreversibly. Murphy's Oil Soap is a good option for one cleaner you may use.
How Do You Make An Oxidation Solution With Steel Wool and Vinegar? These simple (and cheap) ingredients can produce a stain that will give wood a natural aged look in a matter of minutes.
Paint Or Seal Unfinished Furniture
Bare wood, when left unfinished, keeps your furniture with a natural wood look but the risk is exposing it to harsh elements, even if it's indoors, such as light, dust, moisture and water damage, making it more susceptible to stains, warping and cracking.
Unsealed wood floors mean the hardwood doesn't have a protective layer. Many homeowners like the look of untreated floors. The lack of shine and polish makes it look more natural.
To tell if your wood floor is sealed, rub your finger across it. If no mark appears, the floor is surface-sealed. If a mark is left, the floor has been treated with a seal, oil finish or varnish.
Dawn dishwashing liquid with water
The protect unfinished wood floor, you may be used soft soap, for example, Dawn dish soap cleanser.
While you might expect it to do nothing or just leave a small stain, rubbing alcohol acts as a solvent when it comes into contact with wood and wood finishes. To understand how big of a problem this is, you need to know what a solvent does. Solvents are designed to liquify wood finishes, including varnishes and stains.
Linseed oil is a traditional choice for nourishing and protecting wood. It comes in many forms and is obtained from the seed of the linseed-flax plant. Given its ease of use and cheap price, it is one of the most popular finishing oils in the world.
Because unpainted wood is porous, it will absorb whatever you apply to it—including Clorox. That could damage the finish, but, more importantly, it means you're not getting the disinfecting power you're counting on.
Hydrogen Peroxide also has a bleaching effect on wood. However, you don't need to worry because unless you apply an unnecessarily powerful hydrogen-peroxide formula or you have really dark hardwood floor, hydrogen peroxide won't affect the color of your floor.
Use Boiled Linseed Oil
This deeply penetrating oil is absorbed deep into the cell structure of wood to moisturise and plump up the surrounding wood fibres, strengthening and filling the cells to bring any species of wood back to life. Boiled linseed oil is available at Builders as well as hardware and timber merchants.
Dilute white vinegar with water.
Mix three tablespoons (45 mL) of vinegar for every cup (240 mL) of filtered water. You can also add a small amount of mild scented dish soap to the mixture to cover over any vinegar scent.
Pour enough white vinegar into the container that it will submerge the steel wool. Put the top on and shake it up good then let it sit for 24 hrs. You can get different levels of aging if you let is sit longer or shorter periods, but for most of my purposes 24 hrs is perfect.
You can even clean your wood floors with apple cider vinegar to add an extra shine and leave your floors looking brand new and polished. All you have to do is sweep or hoover the floor first before making a cleaning solution of apple cider vinegar and water (typically 1 cup to 1 gallon) and you'll be ready to go!
To properly prep bare wood, first sand with 120-grit sandpaper to open the grain of the wood. Wipe the dust away, and then sand again with 120 grit. Next I wipe the dust away and then sometimes wipe the wood with a damp cloth to raise the fibers.